Common questions
If you don't see your question here, just ask — contact us directly and we'll answer it before you sign up for anything.
Does this replace my front desk / my team answering the phone?
No. Your team keeps answering calls exactly like today. LanternLines only picks up when a call would otherwise go unanswered — after hours, during a busy stretch, or when no one picks up in time. Think of it as a safety net under your existing phone line, not a replacement for it.
Will callers know they're talking to an AI?
The agent is built to sound natural and answer like a knowledgeable team member — not a robotic phone tree. Depending on your state's laws, a short disclosure may be required at the start of the call (for example, California requires all-party consent for call recording, which we handle by default). We're upfront about this rather than trying to trick callers.
What happens with a real emergency call?
The agent is trained to recognize urgency for your specific business — a gas leak, a burst pipe, a locked-out tenant — and escalate immediately: it tells the caller what to do and alerts you right away, instead of quietly scheduling a routine appointment.
How does it book appointments?
It connects to your real calendar and checks actual availability before offering times, so callers get a real confirmed slot on the call — not a promise that someone will call them back.
What if it can't answer something?
It's built to never improvise on things it shouldn't guess at — pricing specifics, technical diagnoses, legal or medical specifics. In those cases it takes a detailed message instead of making something up, and you get it immediately by text.
How long does setup take?
Setup involves learning how your business actually operates — your services, service area, typical emergencies, and how your team talks to callers — then building and testing the agent against that before it ever takes a real call. We walk you through exactly how it sounds before anything goes live.
Is call recording legal?
Yes, when done correctly. Some states, including California, require consent from everyone on the call, which is handled with a brief spoken disclosure at the start of every call — not something you need to manage yourself.
Do I need new phone equipment?
No. It works with your existing business phone number — no new hardware, no new phone system to learn.
What's the pricing model?
A one-time setup fee to build and tune your agent, then a flat monthly rate based on call volume — no per-call overage fees. See the pricing page for current tiers.
Can I cancel or change plans?
Reach out any time — we'll work with you on plan changes as your call volume changes. Full terms are finalized when you sign up.
Ask us directly.
No pressure, no sales script — just a real conversation about whether this makes sense for your business.